Posted: August 19, 2004

Athletics: Bookies Pick Radcliffe For Marathon Gold

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

ATHENS (19-Aug) -- Bookmakers are picking world record holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain to win Sunday's women's Olympic marathon by a wide margin.

Bookmaker Blue Square Betting Slip is offering Radcliffe at a stingy 1:2 to win, while rival bookie Sporting Odds lists Kenyan Margaret Okayo at 6:1 to win. Compatriot and reigning world champion Catherine Ndereba is listed at 8:1 to win by a third bookmaker, Super Odds.

Both Sporting Odds and Blue Square Betting Slip have two top Japanese runners in the field, Mizumi Noguchi and Rieko Tosa, listed at just 20:1 for the victory.

Ndereba, the former world record holder with a 2:18:47 personal best and a recent victory at last April's Boston Marathon, seems like a good bet at 8:1, especially given the heat and hills the marathoners will face. Her long-term marathon record is the best in the field:

 (1) Chicago 2000, 2001
 (1) Boston 2000, 2001, 2004
 (1) World Championships 2003
 (2) Boston 2002 
 (2) Chicago 2002
 (2) London 2003
 (2) New York 1999, 2003
 (6) Boston 1999 (debut)